Tube expander and the like



July 21, 1931. G. WlEbEKE File; ec. 6. 1929 1 N V N TOR- GUSTA V W/EDEKE.

ATTO I Patented July 21, 1931 GUSTAV WIEDEKE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GUSTAV WIEDEKE COMPANY, OF

DAYTON, OHIO, A COPARTNERSHIP CONSISTING OF GUSTAV WIEDEKE,

WIEDEKE, AND ROBERT WIEDEKE OTTO TUBE EXPANDER AND THE LIKE Application filed December 6, 1929. Serial No. 412,081.

This invention relates to tube expanders and the like and more particularly to an expander having means for flaring the end of the tube simultaneously with the expanding operation. In tube expanders as heretofore provided the flaring of the end of the tube has usually been accomplished by means of supplemental or flaring rollers arranged at the ends of the expanding rollers but separate therefrom and extending at an angle thereto. With such a device the end of the tube is flared in a straight line at an angle to the tube and a more or less sharp angle is formed at the inner end of the flare. Further, the expanding rollers and the flaring rollers have a tendency to separate slightly at their adjacent ends, thus permitting the formation of an inwardly extending ridge or shoulder which is highly objectionable. In some installations it is desirable that the end of the tube should be flared on a curve or radius and this can not be satisfactorily accomplished with the flaring devices now in use. Further, the addition of the supplemental or flaring rollers increases the number of moving parts and correspondingly increases the difficulties of maintenance.

One object of the present invention is to provide a tube expander having means whereby the end of the tube may be flared without the use of flaring rollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a tube expander with means whereby the end of the tube may be flared without forming a ridge or shoulder at the inner end of the flare.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be simple in its construction and operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tube expander embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is atransversesectional view taken on the line S 8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the flaring means of a slightly diflerent shape.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention; but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only, and the device may take various forms and the several parts thereof may be arranged in the various positions with relation one to the other without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In that form of the invention here illus trated the tube expander comprises a frame having a substantially cylindrical inner portion 5 and an enlarged outer portion 6, the inner and outer portions being connected one to the other by a tapered intermediate portion 7 T he frame has a longitudinal bore 8 and the innerportion thereof is provided with longitudinal slots or cavities 9 which extend into the tapered portions 7 of the frame. In the present instance, the slots extend for almost the full length of the tapered portion of the frame but it is only necessary that they should extend a slight distance beyond the outer end of the cylindrical inner portion of the frame. Mounted within the cavities 9 are expanding rollers 10, the outer portions of the cavities being slightly contracted to retain the rollers therein but to permit the latter to have radial movement sufficient to cause them to project beyond the surface of the inner portion of the frame. A mandrel 11 extends through the bore 8 of the frame and engages the expanding rollers 10 to press the same outwardly and to rotate the frame, thus causing the rollers to expand the tube in the tube sheet or other supporting structure. In the present drawings the tube sheet isindicated by the reference numeral 12 and the tube by the reference numeral 13. The expanding rollers 10 are of such a length that they will extend-into the tapered portion of the frame some distance beyond the end of the cylindrical inner portion thereof. Preferably the cavities 9 and rollers 10 are set at an angle to the length of the frame so that the rotatory movement of the frame will cause the rollers to exert an inward pull on the frame as a whole and thus impart lon gitudinal inward movement thereto as the expanding operation proceeds.

The tapered or flared portion of the frame is so arranged that when the frame is rotated and moved inwardly this tapered portion will engage the end of the tube and impart thereto the desired flare. At the beginning of the expanding operation the frame is inserted in the tube until the tapered portion thereof contacts with the end of the tube. The rotation and inward movement of the frame will then cause the tapered or flared surface 7 of the frame to press against the end of the tube and gradually stretch the same but the pressure is applied gently and the tube is gradually stretched and given its flared shape without danger of cracking or otherwise injuring the same. In some instances the outer end. of the opening in the tube sheet 12 which receives the tube is flared so that the tube 13 may be flared within the tube sheet with its outer end substantially flush with the outer surface of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 4. In such a case the tapered portion of the frame will enter the opening in the tube sheet as the flaring operation progresses. In other instances the flared portion of the tube is entirely outside of the tube sheet, as shown in Fig. 5. but the expanding and flaring operation is the same in both instances. When it is desired to impart a curved flare to the end of the tube, that is. to flare the same about a radius, the tapered portion 7 of the frame is given a curved shape, to correspond to the shape of the flare which it is desired to impart to the tube, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and the end of the tube will take a shape corresponding to the shape of the tapered end of the frame, as shown at 14 in Fig. 4c. In Fig. 5 the tapered portion of the frame is straight and a straight flare 15 is imparted to the end of the tube. It will be apparent, of course, that the straight flare may be imparted to the tube within the tube sheet or that the curved flare may be imparted to the tube beyond the outer surface of the tube sheet. The expanding rollers extend into the tapered portion of the frame and beyond the inner end of the flare, thus insuring an even uniform expansion of the tube and avoiding the possibility of a shoulder or ridge being formed at the inner end of the flare. To prevent the possibility of the edges of the cavities 9 in the tapered portion of the frame biting into the tube it is preferable that these should be relieved or slightly rounded, as shown at 16 in Fig. 2, to form non-cutting edges.

ljhe operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that when the expander is inserted into the tube and operated to expand the tube within the tube sheet the frame will be fed inwardly as it is rotated, due to the inclined positions of the expanding rollers, and this inward movement will cause the tapered portion of the frame to engage and bend outwardly the end of the tube, thus gradually flaring the same, the arrangement being such that upon the completion of the expanding operation the end of the tube will be completely flared. It will also be apparent that the device is very simple and, because of the omission of the flaring rollers, can be easily produced and maintained.

WVhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to be inserted in a tube which is to be expanded,

expanding devices carried by said frame, and means to rotate said frame and impart inward movement thereto, said frame having a part fixed against movement with relation thereto and arranged to engage and flare the end of said tube as said frame is rotated and moved inwardly.

2. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to be inserted in a tube which is to be expanded, expanding devices carried by said frame, and means to rotate said frame and impart inward movement thereto, said frame having a part fixed against movement with relation thereto and provided with a curved surface to contact with the end of said tube and flare the same on a radius as said frame rotates and moves inwardly.

3. In a tube expander, a frame adapted to be inserted in a tube which is to be'expanded, said frame having longitudinal cavities, expanding rollers mounted in said cavities, and means to rotate said frame and cause thesame to move inwardly, said frame having near its outer end a tapered surface to engage the end of said tube and flare the same as said frame is rotated and moved inwardly.

4. In a tube expander, a frame having an inner portion adapted to be inserted in the tube which is to be expanded, and an enlarged outer portion and a curved circumferential surface connecting said inner and outer portions and adapted to engage the end of said tube, said frame also having longitudinal cavities in said inner portion thereof, expanding rollers mounted in said cavities, and means for rotating said frame and moving the same inwardly to cause said curved surface to flare the end of said tube.

5. In a tube expander, a frame having. an inner portion adapted to be inserted in the tube which is to be expanded, an enlarged outer portion and a tapered portion connecting said inner and outer portions and adapted to engage the end of said tube, said frame also having longitudinal cavities in said inner portion and said tapered portion, expanding rollers mounted in said cavities and extending into said tapered portion of said frame, and means for rotating said frame and 5 moving the same inwardly to cause said tapeged portion to flare the outer end of said tu e.

6. In a tube expander, a frame having an inner portion adapted to be inserted in the 1U tube which is to be expanded, an enlarged outer portion and a tapered portion connecting said inner and outer portions and adapted to engage the end of said tube, said frame also having longitudinal cavities in said inner portion and said tapered portion, eX panding rollers mounted in said cavities and extending into said tapered portion of said frame, and means for rotating said frame and moving the same inwardly to cause said taso pered portion to flare the outer end of said tube, the edges of the cavities in said tapered portion being relieved to provide the same with non-cutting edges.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature 2.) hereto.

GUSTAV WIEDEKE. 

